All the Pieces lead to You
by AiriKatsu
Summary: So many things can happen in a year, and one night Lee and Tenten discuss the meaning of relationships, then Gaara pays him a visit. LeeGaara minor NejiTen
1. Candlelight

Katsu: Wow, this has been in my computer for a while… I should really finish the second chapter but it can be seen as a oneshot…

Mindless LeeGaa fluff, but it is a little OOC on Gaara's part and a lot of scenes are hard to follow, I hope you guys like it… and if you don't like this couple or yaoi in general then you could leave, otherwise I hope this will change your opinion on this couple.

This is a dedication piece to the Rix†Hex†Ex

As well as to Lucrecia, whom is an idol of sorts to me.

Kotoko owns Re-Sublimity

I -WISH- I owned Naruto, if I did there would be a lot more of Lee and Gaara

††††††

_Moving the slowly unfolding, distressing troubles from afar that were in the past Strongly closing the eyelids, the white screams have frozen _

_The confusion of the setting moon _

_Surely my existence is here now Waiting for me _

_There's no more tears to cry When the moment comes when we embrace each other _

_-_

_Unspoken, unheard, unseen, just an illusion _

_Flowing towards the other side of time, becoming like a lost child, an unforgiven wish _

_Only voice, only fingers, only the approaching warmth _

_Unspoken thoughts get tainted by the shredded night wind _

_I had realized that it was only a deception - an image, right there_

††††††

It was late at night; the sky was a pitch black, with small diamonds sprinkled across it, glittering like dust caught in the light. It was a cool evening, one that held a small breeze that would send some of your bangs into your eyes or tickle your cheeks. The moon was orange that night, sending an eerie glowing aura onto whatever it could reach and shadows became that much more ominous. The street lamps were dull, creating small orbs of light that seemed futile in the darkness around them considering the street was deserted.

Amber eyes slid across the scenery before him, finding nothing else to do during this time of night, in all honesty, he just couldn't fall asleep. No matter which way he turned he was uncomfortable, it was either too cold with his sheets on, or too warm with the blanket. So he simply gave up trying to sleep and climbed onto the roof of the apartment building, luckily being on the top floor. The roof was slanted because of the rain they received there, so he could see a grand view before him.

The apartment he had wasn't much, considering that no matter how much money he made on missions it was never really enough to buy anything bigger. Even if he did manage to scrounge up some extra, he felt too attached to the place anyways. It was a simple design with beige walls and plain wallpaper with Kanji for love, strength, hope, dream, determination, and hard work written in red along the borders. The actual layout itself didn't make much sense, considering that you walked into the small barely used kitchen, then walked into the living room, once there you had a choice to go to the bathroom or bedroom.

It would confuse assassins or burglars all to hell though, so he could never really complain, he also had quick access to bandages and clean water if he ever came back from a mission and needed to get to the kitchen. He always kept the first aid kit in the first cupboard on the right as soon as you walked into the apartment, therefore, it was a quick and easy route.

It was also very crowded in his apartment, he never really had to clean, but he never had actually pt anything away, he knew where everything was in a precise order and place. He always knew if Tenten or Neji had been over because Tenten always like to 'help him out' by putting things away, pretty much making him rip his hair out trying to find where she put everything. He didn't much care anymore, he was starting to get used to her way of thinking, at least he could find out where she put his clothes now (Nicely hung up in the closet). And also where his toothbrush and other toiletries went (Behind the mirror, which confused him greatly, so much in fact, that he had to go over and ask her where everything was).

He sighed as the breeze ruffled his hair into his eyes again, he reminded himself once again that he desperately needed a haircut. He absently wondered if he would get the same hairstyle again, it didn't really suit an 19 year old who was a jounin. Then again, thinking back to his previous haircut before the one he had didn't seem that bad, it was a messily cut layered…style… he managed to accomplish with a shuriken.

Now his hair was tied out of his face and easily reached the base of his neck, He pushed the bangs out of his face and decided to cut his hair the easy way. Taking out a sharp kunai he grabbed a fist of hair and made sure not to cut it too short before slicing through it. He sighed and finished the left side before moving onto the right, he vaguely wondered if he could be able to reach the back and not cut it awkwardly

"LEE! WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?"

He blinked as he jumped and almost fell off of his perch on the roof, he looked below him and saw Tenten hanging out of his open window. He cursed the day he gave her a key, wait, no he didn't, that was a good day… well, he cursed the _moment _that he gave her the key.

He suddenly realized that holding your hair behind you and posing a kunai knife to cut it would probably look suicidal from the front, so he decided to lower it slowly and grin as though nothing was wrong.

"Hey Tenten-san, I didn't hear you come in-"

"Lee why did you have a kunai pressed up to you neck?"

He blinked, did Tenten REALLY think he was trying to kill himself?

"I was cutting my hair…." He said slowly, pronouncing each word as if it was the most obvious thing on earth.

"Well then you didn't you come get me! Your hair isn't straight at all, it looks layered, not that it doesn't look good but I highly doubt you want it that messy." She hopped up onto the roof and knelt down beside him.

"Actually," he replied with a small smile, "I wanted a little change, the bowlcut is getting old and I knew I needed something that would keep the hair out of my eyes…" why did his best friend look so surprised, it wasn't like he said he was going to wax his eyebrows or something.

She watched him, looking for any signs of jesting, when he gave her a confused look and handed her over her the weapon she grinned happily. She touched the layered ends of his hair and happily nicked off another couple strands.

She skillfully cut through the poker straight hair with ease, creating a style that suited him, it reminded her of their first days together as a team. The boy with the shaggy cut hair, the bushy eyebrows, big dreams, and almost unreachable ambition… here he was sitting on top of a roof, that same little boy, who had the will of iron, who never gave up no matter what happened to his body.

For a boy who always had a routine life and never seemed to like change, he had never really noticed that he was constantly changing. She finished the haircut with his bangs, then set the kunai down and plopped into a seat beside him, feeling the cool breeze ruffle her own hair pleasantly.

"I'm surprised at you," She announced abruptly, causing the elder boy to give her an odd look, she smiled and decided to explain herself, "Here we are…19 years old, and it's like we've reverted back to our younger selves… You're back to wearing a Chinese uniform, with bandages mind you, and that silly little layered cut that helped you to stand out in the crowd. In addition, here I am, back to that little girl who thought she knew what she wanted, with her silly little buns and fixation for sharp, shiny things…" the pleasant memories brought a soft smile to both of their lips, "You know, it's been… wow… seven years? Eight maybe? And you're still the one I go to when I want to talk about something, you must think so lowly of me, always complaining about Neji…"

"Tenten-chan, that's not true…" A shocked weapons mistress turned her head in astonishment to watch her former teammate and close friend, "It's the experiences in the past that make us who we are, besides, hearing you talk about Neji never bothered me once because I was just glad I had a friend who could count on me." His face was relaxed, no emotions switched across it at all, but his eyes were so far away, in a distant place of their past. "You're one of the first friends I ever had…"

Tenten curled her lips up and a reminiscent smile, "They always said you'd never do it, hell, I thought you'd never do it and you proved us all wrong. You've proved everybody wrong, no matter how many times you were shot down you stood back up and brushed yourself off… You know… I wish I had that strength."

They were silent for a while, the wind swirled around them, and suddenly the night didn't seem that much darker, because there was a small light of friendship they could always count on. No matter how much they changed, there would always be that bond there, the one they could lean back on, a security net that would never disappear or fade away. She loved Lee as the big brother she never really had, the one she felt she needed to watch over, regardless of the stupid things he did or said… she wondered if this was how people like Temari felt when it came to their families.

How odd it was, that people like Lee could change so much but still stay the same, he was still the youthful student who never gave up, but during the moment Tenten blinked they grew up. He was an individual; one who still looked up to Gai-Sensei and was a train-a-holic, but he had a less dramatic edge to him now as well as his little distinct things that made him Lee.

"Lee-kun… what is it like to…." She trailed off suddenly, feeling her cheeks heat up at the mention of something so personal. She took in a deep breath and decided that if she started a sentence she would finish it, "…kiss someone?"

The Jounin was astonished by the question and literally jumped in his seat, he raised a bushy eyebrow at her and she wanted to slap that look off of his face. "Well?!" She demanded, trying to hide her embarrassment with the next best thing; frustration.

"How would I know?" He replied, sounding a little too jumpy for someone who was trying their best to look impassive, "I've never kissed someone before… Oh geesh, how much of a loser do I sound like, huh?" He chuckled forcedly to himself and Tenten had to refrain from _really_ hitting him

"Oh don't give me that!" She pushed him playfully, knowing he would eventually have to tell her if she pestered him enough, "You don't like Sakura-chan anymore!"

This confused the Taijutsu specialist greatly, "What does that have to do with kissing someone?" He asked innocently, tilting his head to the side and trying to find a reasoning to her sudden demands.

"Well it's obvious!" Tenten sighed exasperatedly, leaning back onto her elbows, and looking down at the street, trying anything to get her face to stop reddening. "I mean, you don't like her anymore, therefore, you must have had someone take her place in 'I'm going to protect with my life' land," She said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, "Or perhaps you never really _did_ like her and you realized that when you found out your true feelings for this other person?"

When she snuck a peek back at him out of the corner of her eye it seemed as though he was ignoring her, gazing off into the distant black, but slowly he sat up straighter and leaned his arm on the bent knee before him. A thoughtful expression came to his face and then he allowed himself a small smile, one that was simply the corners of his lips turning upwards. Tenten caught it though, and inwardly knew that she was right about it all along; regardless of what he said, she now knew for certain. "Besides," She backpedaled quickly, "I didn't ask _who_, I asked what does it_ feel_ like…"

Lee knew that all along, but he wondered what he would say, if he really did tell her what it felt like she would know there was someone. Not only that, but he himself didn't know what it felt like, how could he explain something like that to her; a kiss was something anyone could share, but… sharing it with that special someone meant so much more then a simple pressure on the lips.

"I wouldn't know…." He started slowly, "How to put it into words…" even saying that aloud sounded lame, he tried to wrack his brain to find a proper way to describe it to her, but all it came up with was, well… nothing, "It's like…" He stopped to picture it, to remember what it felt like. "…this warmth that you never feel before spreads throughout your body, if I could explain it literally, almost like having a much needed cup of coffee, that first sip that warms you up, but… twice as… intense, not hot but… augh… I'm not even making any sense to me…"

How could he explain anything he was feeling about that certain someone to her, when he barely knew himself half of the time. All his life he had to cling to the things he knew, the safe and secure ground of reality. Train and you will become stronger, study and you will learn, smile and others smile with you, all of these things he had always depended on. He always idolized Gai-Sensei because it was safe, no one could take it away from him, he could believe the things that Gai did because they were successful, because someone else had trod the path before him.

Thinking about his previous Sensei made a dull ache grow in his chest, but he quickly pushed it down, it had been over a year since that day…

It was funny, the only two things that he ever made his own path on, were the things that he kept closest to his heart. If he had his taijutsu he would be able to believe in himself, and for so long that was all he could really love, the passion of training.

Then they came along, and ripped the ground out from under him, tore everything away that was safe, secure, that was _normal_. He finally understood love, and at the same time, knew absolutely nothing about it.

How could they like each other; the two of them had such a huge gap between them; unlike everyone else he had ever known, the _routine_ people. He saw them outside of battle, he knew them, he could gauge their feelings by the simple expressions on their faces or the tone of their voices. But no, he had to go fall in love with the last person anyone would expect; least of all himself.

And the pathetic part was, he was almost certain the other person had fallen in love with him as well, someone who never thought they would ever find love.

"A Kiss is when one person presses their lips against another," He rehearsed in a rather toneless voice, the temperature dropping a few degrees when Tenten saw the stony expression on his face. "Tenten, I can't tell you the answers to what you want to know," He sighed, "Simply because I don't know, I don't know this feeling, that warmth when they're near, this coldness when they are away. I can explain any type of jutsu to you, give me a book or allow me to study it for a few moments and I can break it down easily… but… I can tell you what a kiss is, but you have your own feelings about it, every love is different. I could kiss you right now, but you would feel nothing, and neither would I, wouldn't that ruin your perception of it?"

Tenten understood, "Yeah, I guess you're right Lee,"

The silence spread out between them and Lee delved back into his thoughts once more, he wanted to help, he wanted to give him everything he had been deprived of. The smiles, the laughter, the touch, the warmth, everything… he wanted to show him, little by little what it felt like to have someone care about you.

'and I don't want anything in return, just seeing you with that sadness in your eyes dying away, that's payment enough…'

He couldn't understand it, he wasn't even sure why he always came there considering that there was no real reason to be sitting outside the Hyuuga compound. He was sitting in the tree, doing absolutely nothing expect waiting for some idiot to realize that someone with red hair was hanging out in the tree. He almost snorted in laughter when the tenth night guard walked underneath him without so much as batting an eyelash. When one stopped beneath him he held his breath in anticipation, and then almost fell out of his perch when they yawned and continued on their way.

It was a thing, he just had to sit there, and wait for the dumb ass to realize his existence.

So far he was going on three weeks.

He leaned against the trunk to get comfortable and frowned slightly when the emptiness seeped into his heart again. He placed a hand over the beat of his chest and closed his eyes, hearing the steady rhythm and feeling it beneath his fingertips. He suddenly remembered the first time he had touched someone without his sand armor protecting his skin against the harsh reality. It had been surreal, feeling skin for the first time since he could remember, and then the rush of electricity coursing through his whole being.

The sun had been harsh, the wind had been cold, the grass had been wet with dew, the air had been humid but the skin was soft, and warm. He didn't know what had possessed him to touch the others cheek, but he had always been one to do what his instincts told him to. The small scared voice in the back of his head cried not to hurt him, that he shouldn't break away from the familiar grains of sand, but there he was, touching someone else's skin.

It had been years before that in which the feeling to protect someone arose, what an alien feeling it had been; to watch him, bloodied and bruised. He could feel the anger he had felt surface, the distaste in watching the blood he had spilt not too long ago being abused by another. He had to make it stop, and every time an attack was directed towards this precious person the anger was fueled even deeper.

From the first drip of blood that hit the green grass below their feet, Gaara had known it: Kimimaro had to die. It was a different burning that tingled through his body, he didn't want to kill to feel alive; he suddenly came to a small realization that he wanted to kill him for someone_ else_. When Naruto wanted to protect his friends, and he was the one in the way, he could feel it; at first it was undistinguishable and then he realized it.

It had taken a while, but Gaara was slowly starting to find out just how much to love there really was. Love was more then just physical, it was emotional as well, hugs just weren't a form of contact; now they were a source of comfort, a kindness, an act of selflessness and at the same time, benefited both people.

Touching also meant so much more then simple contact, the first contact had been in battle, but the first contact with his soul had reached beneath his skin to the heart underneath it.

The first time Lee touched him, it was to check his temperature against Gaara's, it had taken him aback and the sand shifted uneasily, as if sensing the discomfort and feeling the need to arise and make the sand user feel comfortable again. However, he held it down, between the shock of feeling the rough calloused, yet warm fingertips brush across his forehead and suppressing the initial reaction to lean into that touch. He simply sat there, scared to move away and stop the contact, and terrified of moving in closer and scaring away the one person who didn't seem to care that he once had a monster placed within him.

It had been about a month after that, when Gaara realized what this ecstatic feeling was when he saw the taijutsu ninja. It was trust, it was the feeling of being trusted in return, but most of all it was the feeling of companionship that he had never really felt before. No one had ever called on him simply to hang out with him, most only talked to him when they needed to, not because they wanted to.

He could clearly remember the look on Temari's face when Lee knocked on the apartment door and asked if he could 'steal' Gaara for the evening. She had looked back and fourth between the two of them then demanded to know what Lee wanted with her little brother. The leaf nin was perplexed; not really understanding how huge this was to the elder sand ninja, whom had been scared of her younger brother. Perhaps it was Lee's uncaring or naive nature that had caused Gaara to really relinquish to the feel of the friendship without the worry of scarring him away.

Lee had dragged Gaara to the festival, held there every year that celebrated the previous Hokage's and their rein. He could faintly recall the energetic Rock Lee leading him around in a blur of food, crowds, small games, and stuffed toys. His newest teddy bear was given to him as a gift from the leaf ninja, who had hit the glass bottles down with one shot. The bear itself was a deep chocolate brown, and was made of a soft fluffy material that resembled fur but obviously wasn't. It had round amber eyes and tied around it's neck was a simple green ribbon, with a small amulet for luck attached to it.

It was a custom for the people to light a tiny lantern; it was a wish candle so you said a small prayer and then lit your own. It's also said that if you wanted to show your love for someone you could blow out their candle and light it yourself. It symbolized taking the persons burdens onto yourself, Lee explained this as Gaara watched, confused, while Shikamaru lazily sauntered over to his sister, blew out her candle and re-lit it.

He had never seen his sister turn that shade of red before, before he could go knock some sense into the idiot shadow manipulator, Lee tapped his arm lightly and pointed over to where Naruto was. The two watched as Hinata timidly touched his sleeve of his Yukata and when he turned around, she placed her hand over her chest, took a deep breath in and blew out his candle, before quickly re-lighting it and scurrying off.

All around them they watched as the tiny little lights flickered out only to be relit by the loved ones, the two of them holding their little lanterns (Lee's was Red, Gaara's was Blue) and Lee was smiling warmly. Gaara was surprised to see the Uchiha sneak up behind the pink-haired kunoichi and re-light hers for her without even catching her attention. All the while her blonde friend knew but didn't say anything.

Gaara didn't care that no one re-lit his candle, just being there and watching the small flames flicker on and off and the small wisps of smoke rise into the air made his lips curl up into a small hidden smile. People were blushing, laughing, hugging, smiling from ear to ear and chattering in small voices, creating murmurs that just rose above the cool wind.

He didn't really have the voice or heart to point it out when the wind blew Lee's out, so he quickly re-lit it using his own, feeling the color rush to his cheeks when he finished. He quickly scouted out to see if anyone had noticed, luckily, everyone seemed too entranced int their own conversations to notice.

**_"Come on Gaara-kun, we have to go place them on the tree branches_**!"

That was the first time Lee had called him Gaara-kun.

Another four months after that, Gaara realized began to notice how he wanted to be near to him, that he enjoyed the few times Lee touched him, even if in a gentle friendly hug. The odd routine that was theirs and theirs alone: how they had practically done everything that couples would do, with the exception of the intimate physical things. Lee would take him out for lunch or supper, they would go for walks, shop, even, on a few occasions, end up on missions together.

Almost two more full moons later, Gaara admitted the feeling to Lee, and was shell shocked when he was told how long Lee had been waiting to hear that. He had liked him for a year, which was exactly one month over the day they had become real friends.

From there on in, it got more and more complicated, but it wasn't as though the Sand Ninja could complain, he didn't know what was going on, but he knew he liked it. They took their relationship really slow, and didn't rush it at all, which was fine with the both of them, since Gaara wasn't miraculously healed from his past loneliness, but was getting there and Lee was finally getting over Gai's death.

The date of the sensei's death had been the saddest and most memorial of Gaara's past year in Konoha, considering that the first time they kissed was the day before his death had reached them.

¤¤¤¤¤¤¤

Katsu: Well there's chapter one… I know there isn't much fluff but chapter two with have loads of it…!

Review PLEASE!


	2. Raindrop

Katsu: I originally had this in one chapter, but I decided to split it up…

This is the sad chapter, the one more drama based…

Hope you don't start crying!

If I owned Naruto, there would be a LOT of changes to the script…

Day of Gai's Death+++

_Gaara fidgeted slightly, the wind was rough and the sky was dark stone grey that created a sense of gloom around the leaf village. His hair was ruthlessly attacked in the currents of the wind and he could feel the jagged strands catching his forehead and getting near his eyes just enough to irritate him. He leaned against the tree for no real support simply doing so because it seemed to comfort him in an odd way. He gazed up into the cloudy sky, feeling a shiver rise up his spine and shake him to the core; he suddenly had that feeling like something was wrong. He frowned slightly, his eyes narrowing a bit and his arms crossed themselves across his chest, that prickling feeling settling uneasily in his stomach._

_Lee was late, although it wasn't something unnatural for the leaf ninja, it somehow bothered the soon-to-be Kazekage greatly that afternoon. The clouds appeared to be getting ready to rain and he didn't want to be soaked because he stupidly left the house without his sand or umbrella even though his sister yelled out the door for both. _

_During the time that he had been sitting there, he began to ponder about things that were in his like, primarily the one person named Rock Lee. How odd their relationship had started out; one simple day the Taijutsu specialist had asked Gaara to go out for lunch with him because Tenten had cancelled. Things had simply gone uphill from there, each day he learned something new about himself or about Lee. Neither could really pinpoint during which day they had began to consider each other best friends but it wasn't as though they cared._

_The only real thing Sabaku no Gaara knew was that it was exactly three months since he had finally admitted to Lee that he had feelings for him that were more then friendly. The situation was highly comical, considering that there was no kiss, no undying love announcements, simply an exchanging of words that meant more then actions themselves._

_**"…So there… I… I think I love you… If that is the right word?"**_

_**"….I've wanted to hear that for about a year know…"**_

_**"W-….what?"**_

_**"It's a stupid way of saying I love you as well… you know me, I say idiotic things when I'm embarrassed…"**_

_**"I've embarrassed you?"**_

_**"Ah… not really… I feel kind of embarrassed all on my own…"**_

_**"You're confusing."**_

_**"But you still love me…"**_

_**"Point taken…"**_

_There were sparks, and had been enough for the both of them, they didn't need the hugging and kissing just yet, Gaara was still getting used to Lee grabbing his arm to show him something or the friendly contact the elder always seemed to give him. They spent most of their time talking about whatever they wanted, and the other times in a comfortable silence._

_Yesterday, Gaara had kissed him for the first time, leaning in and pecking him on the lips, feeling that it was the only thing to do in that situation. Even the thought of it brought Goosebumps to his skin and a content feeling spread throughout his body, he could tolerate Lee's tardiness a little longer._

_Gaara saw him instantly, the small mop of black hair and the newly adorned Chinese uniform complete with the bandages that traveled from his elbows to his hands. The feeling in his gut intensified almost to the point of pain and he felt the need to meet the Leaf Nin half way, he picked up his pace when he noticed how Lee was staring at the ground with a twisted smile placed on his lips. He looked dead, maybe not in bodywise, but something about his normal body language was gone, he didn't look up and wave or have his hands in his pockets casually. His posture was rigid, his step was lifeless and not bouncy at all like it normally was, the air about him was solemn and melancholy._

_When he reached the other boy, they stopped only a foot away from each other, no matter how long Gaara waited, Lee would not meet his eyes. As if on que Gaara took a hesitant step forwards and felt the first raindrop hit his cheek, the next second he was being held in an embrace that wasn't sympathetic or friendly, it was desperate. He was clutching to him as if he was the last remaining person he could cling onto, and the Suna native knew his feelings of dread were well predicted._

_He wrapped his arms around the taller boy's waist, allowing Lee to use him for support, at first he thought it was a tear to hit his shoulder, then he remembered the clouds and all the pent up rain and tears were let loose. Everything drained out of his boyfriend, and the once proud and cheerful Rock Lee slumped to the ground; an emotionless wreck._

_Gaara knelt down beside him, while Lee was sitting on his knees, the sand ninja was kneeling, he leaned forward and wrapped his arms around the other's shoulders, pulling Lee forwards to cry on his chest. The young kazekage was now a little bit taller, since the hill was slanted and he had propped himself up kneeling._

_They were both soaked in a hazy mist that really couldn't be considered rain. Gaara closed his eyes and placed his chin on top of Lee's head, pressing his mouth to the soft black hair and simply sat there, holding him. After a few moments of silence like that, the other timidly reached up and clutched the front of Gaara's shirt, as if not knowing what he should do._

_Lee was in shock._

_His shoulders were shaking: in either pent up sobs or shivering, Gaara just could not tell what was running through the others mind. But he could relate, even in the slightest manner because he had seen one he thought he loved die before him, by his own hands. He could never know the extent of their relationship, considering the fact that he never had someone who was like a fatherly figure as Lee did. Then again there were a lot of things Lee had that he didn't, at least when they were growing up. Things like friends, being free of the monstrous beast inside him, having someone he could look up to, Being able to hurt himself and feel pain among other various things._

_Then there were the things Gaara had that Lee didn't, such as sand that could protect him during almost any situation, two siblings, the power that came without having to train, getting whatever he wanted, and having to need to work to surpass almost anyone in his village._

_The Leaf Ninja didn't have any parents; Neither did the Sand ninja, the Taijutsu specialist had lost the only parental figure in his life; the Ninjutsu specialist had also lost his parental figure, the kind-hearted green beast was ridiculed and discarded as a child; the cold-hearted red beast was feared and disowned as a child._

_Therefore, their lives had pretty much sucked until they met each other._

_Gaara wasn't the only one rebuilding his life, Lee was constantly working at his, trying till the point of collapsing to show them that hard work could surpass a born genius. _

_No matter how strong he became, Lee never thought it was ever good enough; when Gaara pointed out how he could smash a tree trunk four feet in diameter with one kick and without breaking a sweat, Lee told him he needed to break one with eight feet –diameter without over-exerting himself. After the red-head interjected that he could make it around Konoha with his weights on in double the speed he did two years ago without his weights on, he replied saying he needed to beat his record four times over._

_Lee NEVER gave up, but he also never cut himself any slack at all, perhaps that was what would eventually give him enough power to surpass his arch-rival. Then again, Gaara had a sinking suspicion that even if Lee did surpass Neji Hyuuga, he would then train himself even more to try and surpass the genius twice-over._

_He had never seen anyone work that hard, and he knew this to be the reason why he was so inspired by him, not only to become more likable (Which, according to Lee he had already completed), but to become stronger as well; to protect his people as Naruto protected his friends and village. All in all, he wanted inner strength, the strength that could help him protect the ones le loved the most, he wanted to be able to protect his friends, not have them submit to his power, but to be comforted by it._

_They sat there for an hour; stiff, cold, and silent just holding on to one another, finally, Lee pulled away from the red-haired jounin, and thanked him with a voice that was barely his own. He composed himself, slowly got up ignoring the helpful hand that Gaara offered then furiously turned and punched the tree, breaking it into pieces._

_"A Ninja should never show their feelings, they should keep them to themselves…"_

_"Pathetic…" Lee's eyes went wide, he turned to the sand ninja for a reasoning to his words._

_"You think so, do you, really?" His green eyes weren't as harsh as his voice at all, pity was welling up in them, and so was another emotion long buried, "Did you and Naruto not preach about how a true Shinobi's strength comes from protecting someone they care about? Your strength comes from the people you love, and above all, showing emotions about someone who gave you hope and joy is exactly what the Third would have wanted…" Lee blinked, then opened his mouth in a confused manner, "I met him you know, once, when he made a trip to Suna, he told me that crying for someone who died was proof you loved them," He chuckled darkly, "You leaf ninja's; you are such hypocrites."_

_"I think that, if you would have died, that Sensei of yours would have been balling his eyes out…" Lee once again looked amazed._

_"How did you know it was…" He trailed off, his voice almost strangled when he tried to push the name out of his mouth._

_"I don't know, perhaps, I'm finally starting to understand what it's like to have a connection to someone…" He placed a hand over his heart, "A few minutes before you arrived, I got an uneasy feeling as though something was terribly wrong, I knew you were okay but someone else wasn't…" He frowned slightly, angered with himself for not being able to find the correct words to summarize the feeling. He had never been known for his social skills, considering the fact that people who usually learned his name didn't give him a chance to talk anyways. He shook his head, dispelling that subject and pushing it to the back of his mind for later analysis, "either way…did… did you want to tell me what happened?"_

_Lee watched him intently, the rain slipping down his skin, the dullness in his eyes, and the troubled look on his face. _

_"Alright, did you want to go dry off first?"_

_They walked in silence._

_Later on, a few hours later the two of them sat in Lee's apartment at the kitchen table with two steaming hot cups of coffee. The Great Beast of Konoha explained what had happened that morning when he went to go see Tenten about some important matter. When he had arrived at her house, she dragged him off to the Hokage's office telling him their chat would have to wait since they had been summoned to speak with Tsunade._

_They were immediately sent into her office and told to sit down, she was sitting at her desk, her hands clasped together so hardly that the knuckles were turning white. She glanced up at them, then muttered something about waiting for Neji, Kurenai, Asuma, and Kakashi._

_Lee had stared at his companion for support who simply shrugged, having no clue as to what was happening. The next few minutes had been tense, until Kakashi came strolling in, said his hello's and then leaned against the wall behind them. He asked no questions, but had an air about him that slowed his perplexed thoughts. The next few minutes Neji filed in to sit beside Tenten, then finally a distressed looking Kurenai and Asuma, who appeared to be extremely worried about something._

_Tsunade and stared at each one in turn, then stood up so sharply her chair hit the floor, everyone cringed slightly at the loud bang the seat made but the Hokage paid it no heed. She gripped the desk that Lee could see the wood cracking beneath her intense grip, when she finally addressed them all they were so quiet that a pin could have dropped and sounded loud._

_"Two days ago, as you should all be aware of, Might Gai and two other Jounin were dispatched to the northern region of the Water continent, since their were reports of strange activities appearing there that we believed to be the work of Orochimau's late followers that are still carrying out his will." Lee could sense his dread deepen when she only mentioned his Sensei's name._

_"Why weren't we informed of this before today?" Suddenly demanded Kakashi, making Lee wonder about his split-second out of character act. There was a ringing silence, in which Tsunade broke eye contact and bent down to pick up her chair, feeling the need to do something with her hands to stop them from shaking. "Why wasn't I sent with him? Or Kurenai and Asuma? We are very capable-"_

_"-There was NO question of capability, Kakashi-san, we foolishly underestimated them; since you were both planning your vacation," He addressed the two sensei's. "Kakashi, you were very busy with your job at the academy," She then gazed at the three younger ninja's, "Tenten-san and Neji-san had just returned from a mission and Lee-san was training with Gaara-san, that a simple group of Jounin with one of our elite would be enough to get the job done. We didn't know that there was a larger group of them waiting._

_Gai-san had flawlessly taken out a fair amount of the enemy, but was met head to head with their supposed leader, whom he… he failed to defeat… at the cost of his life,"_

_The room was silent, Lee had stopped breathing, Tenten had her hands clasped over her mouth and Neji's grip of his chair tightened, "The two others arrived earlier this morning, dragging his body…" She pulled out a tattered headband that bared the insignia of the Leaf village on it, she walked around her desk and placed it in Lee's lap, "Gai-san, he told them to give that to you before he passed away,"_

_After a few more moments of Tsunade explaining the full situation to them with Kakashi asking questions here and there mission related Lee had stood up and walked out of the office to find Gaara, which brought them to their current situation._

_"She told me, that Gai wanted me to have his headband," he pulled it out as if for proof. "And that he didn't want to take me on the mission because he knew I was spending time with my new friend; he had been given the choice to bring me but declined it because he knew… about… he knew that I loved you." He rubbed the headband affectionately, "He knew I was planning to tell you the next day…"_

_There was a pregnant pause, in which Lee finally took a sip of his coffee to calm his frazzled nerves and Gaara reached across the table and awkwardly touched his friends hand. He looked startled by the contact and then his expression softened and he leaned forward to rest his head on his arms and smiled sadly. _

_"When is the funeral?" Whispered the younger jounin in a nearly inaudible voice._

_"This afternoon…" he sighed, "Gaara-kun, please don't try to comfort me during then, okay? I don't want you to… because I know I'll probably break down if you do…"_

_The sand ninja was confused, then slowly he started to understand what the elder boy meant by that. He could feel his heart swell a little when he deciphered the meaning, and he stood up and walked around to where Lee was. _

_"But I can comfort you till then, can't I?"_

--End Flashback--

Gaara noticed he was dozing off slightly, he sighed and decided that he would call it a night and return home, just when he was about to jump off the branch and teleport himself home he heard a voice.

"Sabaku no Gaara? What are you doing here?"

Gaara blinked, he hadn't though of a reply to that question yet. "Shouldn't you be with Lee or something, you two are never seen without each other these days and Lee hasn't challenged me in a good year…"

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were jealous," retorted the sand ninja evenly, jumping down from his perch and landing right beside the Hyuuga.

Neji raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms across his chest, "Did I just catch some sarcasm coming from you?"

"Well I don't know, apparently**_ you're_** the genius," Gaara smirked at the surprised look on the other's face to his reply. Apparently the branch Hyuuga wasn't used to seeing the newer version of Sabaku no Gaara whom had become much more outspoken, "In all honestly I don't know why I'm here, it was something to do, but now that I've been caught I guess there's no point anymore…" He ran a hand through his hair to get it out of his face, "knowing Tenten-san, she's probably already at Lee's house…" he muttered the last part to himself mostly.

"How would you know that?" The silver-eyes ninja demanded curiously, feeling slightly protective of the brunette in question.

"Well, she _is_ a companion after all, I've gotten to know her and she's always speaking to Lee-kun, unless you were_ always_ this oblivious to your teammates?" For some odd reason, angering the Hyuuga made something inside him feel better, it was probably his payback for beating Lee all those years ago.

"I suppose that's logical, those two have always been close," Gaara could make out a slight frown curling down the normally passive fighter's lips. "ever since we were placed on a squad together."

"You have nothing to worry about, they're always talking about you anyways…" Gaara wanted to take those words back the second they popped out of his mouth, he flinched when he could hear Tenten's frantic voice screaming in his head: '_You said WHAT?!_' "But anyways, I have to go," With that he teleported a few blocks away, already closer to Lee's house instead of his own, he thought about it for a few moments and then finally decided to make the trek to his boyfriend's home.

Katsu: Done!

Sin: sarcastically Wheee….

Katsu: Well… that was depressing… . 

Sin: yummy!

Katsu:…. Well… please review!


	3. Warmth

Katsu: Wow… I'm a little disappointed… not many people reviewed the first chapter… Well except for one girl who was amazed with my writing skills ;

Well here's some shameless fluff I promised you guys… This is where Gaara sort of gets OOC…

At least that's what I think… but I HAVE read worse so I hope people won't mind…

Sin: So she owns nothing… Kishimoto owns everything… and would probably kill her for the way Gaara acts… .>

Katsu//grumble// leave me alone, they wanted the ending… and they go it…

"Geesh, is it really that late? I guess I should be heading home…" Tenten stood up and brushed off her clothes, looking for non-existent dust or grime that could be found on a rooftop. She grinned at her best friend, then leant down, hugged him quickly and bounded off into the night, startling a cat in the tree she just-so-happened to jump on first.

Lee chuckled as the cat hissed, sending Tenten tripping over herself and just managing to catch the branch of the tree in front of her, she looked back giving him a glare for his laughter. Before the weapons mistress turned to bound off into the direction of her own home something caught her eye and she smirked.

The Taijutsu user sat there puzzled as she waved and disappeared into the pitch black of the night that surrounded the roof top. He could have sworn that he caught her smiling when she turned away and silently wondered if she had set a trap for him so when he got up he would trigger it. He looked to his left where she had once sat and gazed around the area for anything slightly suspicious.

Then he felt it, something crawled up his arm, he tensed slightly, ready for anything that could be considered a threat. When he turned his head just slightly he saw the cause of his discomfort and relaxed instantly, watching as the sand slithered to his shoulder and then wrapped itself around his arm and started to break off and make it's way across his chest and shoulders.

"I just had an encounter with your other teammate," An oh-so-familiar voice breathed in his ear, which sent a shiver tingling up his spine and spreading across his body. He knew Gaara was kneeling behind him, having some reason as to why he had not simply made his presence known earlier. He had the feeling that the sand-user was up to something, he nodded slightly, telling the red head he had heard him. He watched intently as the sand slid across his body, never gathering in one specific spot, but refusing to travel further then his abdomen. "He's jealous of you, you know…"

It finally registered in the black-haired teen that Gaara meant Neji, which obviously meant that his boyfriend had finally been caught sneaking around the Hyuuga compound.

"It's about time they found you around there-" The sand came across the back of his neck and caused him to jump slightly at the rather uncomfortable feeling. "Gaara-kun… w-what exactly are you doing?" He cursed the tremor in his voice, wanting to sound unaffected by the Suna ninja's sand spreading across his body in an intimate fashion.

"Hmn?" Green eyes flashed slightly in the deep night, his voice sounded unaware of his boyfriends discomfort, "What do you mean?" He replied, feigning innocence.

The sand switched tactics and instantly slithered down his spine, Gaara watched amused as Rock Lee jumped up and spun around to glare at the other. The younger boy was pleased to see the flush in his face and that he was panting slightly, only becoming lax when the sand fell away from him and obediently recollected itself in Gaara's ever-present gourd. The Sand ninja stood up and advanced in him slyly, smirking when the taller recoiled slightly and took an involuntary step back.

"Would you prefer if I touched you myself?"

He was playing with him, and both damn well knew it.

Easily avoiding the question Lee focused on changing the subject, "What were you saying before about Hyuuga-san?"

Gaara easily shifted with the subject change and touched the other boys cheek in an affectionate way before replying.

"Oh he was just jealous of Tenten-san spending so much time with you," he advanced another small step and grabbed Lee's arm when he went to take another step back, "You're going to fall."

He turned around to see that, sure enough, he was on the edge of the roof and one step back would cause him to fall off balance. He didn't quite grasp what Gaara was trying to accomplish and, being the gracious person that he was offered that Gaara come inside before it got too cold out.

When they entered through the bedroom window, Lee noticed Gaara's lack of attire, he was only wearing a t-shirt and must have been cold for his whole time outside. He gestured for the redhead to fallow as he made the both of them some coffee in order to warm them up.

"Did you want a sweater to wear?" He offered kindly, turning to face his boyfriend after he finished filling the coffee pot and set the water to boil. "You don't look like your dressed for the nighttime."

Gaara looked down and also realized how cold he must look with his black t-shirt and light pants that were more suited for Suna's daytime atmosphere then Konoha's cool nights. He pulled his gourd off of his shoulders and placed it against the wall, his shoulders already feeling better from the sudden lift of the tension placed on them. The Sand ninja had always felt a little cooler, he always had cold hands and even though he lived in a place that was dry and hot, he was never effected by it.

"I suppose…"

Lee grinned, walked over to his dark bedroom and rustled around in there for a few moments before pausing slightly. He seemed to be deciding about something, then made up his mind and grabbed whatever it was he had been observing. He made his way back into the kitchen and walked over to there the green-eyed boy was sitting casually at the table watching him expectantly.

"Here, it is probably a little big but it's very warm…" he handed Gaara a large leaf green sweater that he instantly knew would be very long and big on him, but he excepted it great fully and unfolded it.

He waited until Lee had turned around to watch the coffee before stripping off his black shirt and throwing the green sweater over his head. He looked down and observed that it was extremely baggy and went past his hips to about mid-thigh covering the top seven inches of his pants and he had to scrunch the sleeves up a few inches to see his hands. The neck hole was larger and one could clearly see his neck, collar bone and it fell of his one shoulder when he lifted his other up.

Even though it was far too big for him; he could not help but relish in how warm and comfortable the soft green material was. He wrapped his arms around himself and rubbed his arms slightly warming himself up even more, in his arms he held his old black t-shirt and waited to get the others attention.

When Lee turned around he nearly dropped the two cups of steaming black coffee when he caught sight of Sabaku no Gaara. The only way he could even begin to describe the other younger boy was in one word and that was: Adorable.

He set the two mugs down on the table and took the black shirt away from the sand ninja, placing in on the other chair and then ushering for the younger teen to have a seat. After Gaara had sat down and reached across the table for his tea did Lee notice that his shirt had fallen down the other shoulder, he watched mesmerized when Gaara pulled it back up over his creamy pale skin in an annoyed manner. The taijutsu specialist grinned and distracted himself but having a sip of the scolding beverage, trying to get his eyes unglued from the other boy's body.

Gaara noticed the odd behavior and raised a non existent eyebrow at him, feeling the same discomfort that Lee had felt only a few minutes before when the Suna native had teased him with his sand. He cupped his hands around the mug and held it close to his mouth, blowing on the hot steam and then tenderly had a sip of his red mug. A small content smile adorned his lips when he pulled the cup away from his mouth, he noticed that the other was still staring and felt his cheeks heat up, not from the coffee.

"W-what?" He whispered breathily, feeling his face redden even more when he saw the dreamy look in the others eyes. "What is it?" He blurted out crossly, then mentally smacked himself for sounding so flustered. He normally didn't sound that harsh unless he was uncomfortable and having someone eye you wasn't exactly the most pleasant feeling.

"I wish I could take a picture of this." He gestured to Gaara's attire, which caused the redhead to frown and demand what was wrong with how he looked, "No, no, you just look so adorable right now, I probably wouldn't be able to get Sakura-san and Tenten-chan to stop fawning all over you.

"w-what?!" The Sand user stuttered out, he opened his mouth slightly and tried to hide behind his coffee cup, which caused his sweater to fall down the opposite shoulder at the sudden act of bashfulness. Gaara noted his temporary lack of normal character and straightened out his posture quickly, and trying to hide his blush, why was it that only Lee ever had this effect on him?

The elder boy stood up and walked around to the other side of the table that the soon-to-be Kazekage was sitting at, when green eyes met amber there was a sort of understanding that passed between them.

Lee slowly and gently lifted the cup from his boyfriend's hands and set it on the table so it wouldn't fall, then gently grabbed Gaara's chin, forcing the other to look up into his face. There was some odd force pulling him towards the other, perhaps it was the innocent look that he adorned, with his cheeks lighting up and the way the shirt dipped low on the neck. It made Lee want to kiss the skin there and find out if it was as soft as it looked, and run his hands across his neck and shoulders.

Gaara didn't know how sexy that shirt made him appear, now if only he could get him without the black pants he would probably look even cuter.

The redhead could feel his heart pump wildly in anticipation when their eyes met, then he held his breath slightly when the beautiful green beast lowered his mouth to his. The kiss was soft and welcoming, the pressure was hardly there, but Gaara could still feel it, his eyes slid shut and he felt the konoha ninja's hand cup the back of his head and push a little more firmly. The smaller of the two responded buy grabbing a fistful of the standing ninja's shirt and pulling him closer then wrapping his arms around his neck. Lee's lips broke away from the Sand ninja's only to capture them once more in a just as soft chaste kiss, he kissed him again and again, while the sand ninja responded every time.

When they finally stopped Lee gently rested his forehead against Sabaku no Gaara's, and smiled when the other breathed out a soft sigh that tickled his cheek. The coffee was forgotten when the two of them stood up and leaned in for another kiss, this one more passionate then the other shy ones. Lee's hands rested on the small of his boyfriend's back and pushed the two of them closer until he could fully wrap his arms around him and their chests were up against each other. The Sand ninja tangled a hand in the others hair then after a few moments stopped and pulled away abruptly.

"You cut your hair!" He exclaimed suddenly, running his hands through the new shaggy locks that once used to be straight and all the same length. The other boy chuckled and muttered something to the effect of 'bout time', which caused the smaller and slimmer of the two to blush in aggravation of his own lack of observation. "It… looks good on you…" He ruffled the black strands lightly before starting to pull his hand away, in a flash Lee grabbed the arm when it was nearing his cheek and gently kissed the wrist lovingly.

"Thank you…" the hot breath trickled down the tender skin of Gaara's wrist and he curled his fingertips up and watched awestruck as Lee pressed his lips lightly and softly to his veins there. "You look good in my shirt," He observed absently, leaning in to touch the naked skin of his exposed neck with a small kiss.

His love's face heated up once more, he loved every single thing he was experiencing then, including the warmth that had erupted in the pit of his stomach and reached from the tips of his toes to the top strands of his red hair.

Lee took the smaller hand between his own two hands and frowned slightly at the coldness there, he breathed into the hands and rubbed the palm slightly trying to warm the sand ninja up. "You're so cold Gaara…" He whispered his name huskily and the younger boy's eyes widened when he realized the lack of horrific AND that Lee had begun pulling him towards the bedroom; he fallowed silently. "Here, it's much warmer in my room," He didn't even bother to turn the lights on, he grabbed a warm dark blue blanket and sat down on the bed against the wall that the bed leaned up to. He still held the redhead's hand in his own and slightly pulled the other onto the bed with him, then frowned when the smaller sat beside him.

"Wait, come here…" He wrapped his arms around the slim middle of his boyfriend and lifted him into his lap, spreading his legs so the Gaara was leaning up against his chest and his legs were on either side of him. He wrapped the blanket across his back and then around Gaara's stomach so it covered the both of them.

Gaara was glad that Lee couldn't see his face and the nice shade of magenta it was, it put his hair to shame but no matter what he didn't want to move from his spot there. He tensed when he felt Lee lean his forehead on his exposed shoulder and he shivered despite himself. As if feeling them and assuming the smaller boy to still be cold, he wrapped his arms closer around him and pulled him even closer.

The heir to Suna wrapped his arms around the martial artist's and leaned contently against the broad chest and toned upper body of his boyfriend. Even though Lee was considered tall and thin, Gaara's slim and slightly shorter body fitted his perfectly, his hands intertwined into the others. They rested there in a comfortable silence; the redhead could feel his lover's heartbeat up against his back, beating in a steady calm rhythm.

It was the moments like this Gaara remembered why he had decided to stay in Konoha for such a long time, but his mind immediately sobered when he remembered that he would eventually have to drag himself back to Suna. That meant that he would see less and less of the man sitting there with him and even though he was wrapped up in his arms he still started to feel alone. He leant back and surrendered to the warm embrace completely; leaning his temple to the raven-haired boy's chin. He could feel the cleansing breaths ruffle the top of his messy red hair every time the green beast breathed out.

Emerald green eyes slowly closed, relaxing completely, he could just see Temari's worried face when she got back that night after her date with that shadow guy and realize that her younger brother was missing. Knowing his blonde elder sister, if he wasn't home by morning she would come banging on Lee's door, or even before then if she was really restless. He hazily remembered thinking about getting up and leaving before the early morning but all it took was for the boy behind him to move slightly and for his thigh to brush up against the sand ninja's hip to remember why he was staying.

He supposed that if it was nice out in the morning he would get up and leave.

Drip-drop-drip-drop-drip-drop.

It was lightly at first, and then the sound of the rain got heavier and louder on the roof above them, Lee was the first to say anything after their hour or so of silence.

"It looks like you won't be going home tonight Gaara…" Why was it that no matter how innocent the Konoha ninja made it sound, to the Suna ninja is sounded suggestive? "It's raining pretty heavily…did you want to lie down?" The way he leant his head down and whispered so softly in the desert shinobi's ear made the previous blush come back, but this time just a little.

Too dazed and comfortable to say much else, the red head nodded slightly then cursed the cold room when Lee unwrapped the blanket from around them and pulled the covers back on the single bed. Gaara groggily crawled underneath the covers and waited for Lee to throw the covers over them before he tilted his head up and shared another kiss with him once more.

Rock Lee wrapped his arms around his boyfriend once more, this time however, Sabaku no Gaara let his head rest underneath his dearest friends chin and wrapped his own arms around the middle of the other's lean but muscled middle.

They fell asleep listening to the rain.

Katsu: wooooooooooooow

Sin: Corny…

Katsu: I completely agree O.o;

Sin: I've seen you write some pretty sickeningly-sweet stuff, but never that bad…

Katsu: So shoot me… I have an inextinguishable lovey-dovey side…

Sin: Gladly! takes out death penalty

Katsu: H-HEY! You can't use that! This is Naruto, not Final Fantasy!

Sin: Well… I've had some calls on threatening you to continue The plus Side of Insomnia… apparently I'll get quite a bit of money for it too…

Katsu:………. I'll finish it! …Eventually…

Sin: So can we talk about the OOC-ness

Katsu: Yes… wow… talk about serious out of character on Gaara's part… then again I dunno, maybe I'll try to rectify that by saying they've been in the relationship for a while?

Sin//starts singing// GirlyGaara! GirlyGaara!

Katsu: oh shut up….


End file.
